When it comes to iconic video games, there are few that stand out more than the Metal Gear series. I was instantly hooked when I first played Metal Gear Solid, and have been a huge fan of the franchise since. While Solid Snake is basically the character who makes the whole thing, I learned to appreciate and even like Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (after my initial irritation that the game wasn't playable as Snake). It took me a while to get there, but I finally did.

I was happy to see him get his own game as a cyborg ninja in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, though I never actually got around to playing that title on a traditional console.

The gravy train just keeps on rolling for thrifty Android games. In addition to the dozens of titles on sale from other developers, retro specialist DotEmu has put all three of its Android titles on sale. You can pick up classic platformer Another World for $1 (75% off), shooter legend R-Type for a dollar (40% off), and shoot-em-up anthology Raiden Legacy for three bucks (40% off).

All three are solid games with 4+ stars on Google Play, well worth it if you're a fan of the original games or just the genres in question. Raiden Legacy in particular offers a lot of bang for your buck, with four top-down shooters in the same package.

Twenty years ago you had to pump quarters into an arcade machine to enjoy the punishing shooter known as Raiden. The game was so successful that multiple sequels followed. Now you can play four Raiden arcade games on your mobile device for a one-time fee. This is a retro gaming experience that tries to preserve the feel of the original game, and still make it work on a touch screen. So is Raiden still awesome? Let's see.

Gameplay

See that thing there? Shoot it. That other thing over there? Shoot that, too. That third whatsit over there? That one is a power up.

If you're old enough to remember a time when arcades blanketed the landscape, you probably also remember Raiden. This top-down scrolling shooter debuted in 1990 and attracted legions of fans. Now more than 20 years after it showed up in an arcade cabinet, you can play Raiden and its three sequels on your Android device courtesy of DotEmu.

This single download contains the original Raiden, Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2, and Raiden Fighters Jet. All these games follow the tried-and-true formula of shooting absolutely everything that appears on the screen. There are 15 ships to unlock and take into battle, each with unique weapons and abilities.